Whew! what a week what a week! I'm sorry I haven't updated in the past couple of days you guys but things got a little hectic around my way. I celebrated my one yr anniversary with my boyfriend cheers all around and my godkids just moved in with me. So life is pretty rattled in my neck of the woods. But here is the chapter that you have been waiting for: some interaction between a scout and princess. i do hope that you like it and now that i am back on track with my chapters im going to try to send them every two days now. I don't want you guys to be forgetting what is going on ya know? so enjoy the chapter and please do send reviews!

From Betrayal to Redemption

Ch. 10

Mina had been driving around the city for almost an hour trying to calm her emotions down, but it seemed that the more she thought about the situation the more upset she became. 'Please don't be sad Mina. Women of Venus do not deal well with sadness. Although it does do well when you want something from your counterpart,' a soft voice said.

"Why did I have to side with them? Why didn't I just trust what my heart was telling me?" she asked herself. "I don't know what to do anymore."

She parked her car on the side of the road and took in a deep breath. She looked up at the skies and saw that there was a crescent moon hanging there. "I really can't go anywhere without you, huh? Are we really related you and I? I can't believe I'm talking to the moon. Like it could really give me a sign to answer my question."

As Mina was getting ready to turn the car back on she saw Darien's motorcycle come out from a neighborhood and go in the direction of the hospital. "Who was he visiting over here?" she asked herself.

As if to answer her the Moon's light seemed to shine on a particular house. Mina stood on her car's seats and look to where the light shone and saw the glimpse of a woman standing outside with silver hair. 'Serena?'

She looked back up at the moon and whispered, "Thank you Selene," and started her car to go towards the house.

She parked on the side of the curb and just looked at the house. "Are you in there Sere?" She walked up the driveway and knocked on the door. She heard the muffle of voices but could not distinguish who was who. As she was contemplating why she was here in the first place and if Serena would kill her on the spot the door opened to reveal a tall handsome blond blue-eyed man. "Whatever you're selling I don't want it."

"I'm not selling anything. I came by to see someone."

"Well you can see me all you like lady."

With a smile on her face she said, "No I came to see a woman. I believe that she lives here. Or at least I hope."

"What do you want this woman for?"

"You sure do ask a lot of questions."

"My house. You want to enter it. I gotta make sure you're not some psycho."

"She's my cousin. Or at least I think we're cousins and I need to talk to her."

"You think? How do you not know if you're cousins?"

"Things happened in my life that kept me from finding out the truth about us. I'm just now finding out information and I need to talk to this woman to know for sure."

"Because she knows?"

"I believe so."

"Well let me go and ask her to make sure."

"Jason if you don't let that woman in this house," another voice said.

"Hey like I said she may be off her rocker. We don't need any loony people in this house."

"That's correct because we already have you."

"That was so hilarious I forgot to laugh."

"Come on in lady. Who's this woman you're looking for?"

"Serena. Serena Tsukino," Mina replied.

"Well then I guess you are at the correct house," a female voice said. "Hello Mina."

Mina turned around to see a young woman with silver hair and bright blue eyes. She was dressed in a pale green halter top with a long denim skirt and matching sneakers.

"Serena?"

"I'm just as shock to see your appearance. I was told what you may have looked like now but I did not expect this."

"Told?"

"I have my own connections in this town Mina. My family does still live here remember?"

"I remember."

"Well I think that Jason and I will give you two some privacy. You guys have much to talk about I'm sure," the second blond haired man said. "Unlike my friend here I was raised with manners. Zachary Coldstone."

'He looks so familiar. Almost as if he was the male version of Zoicite, but that's ridiculous…isn't it?' Mina thought to herself. "Mina Aino."

"Jason Specter at your service madam. If you happen to need anything and I do mean ANYTHING-"

"JASON!" Serena exclaimed.

"Just give a holler and I'll be here," he said with laughter.

'Jason Specter? I wonder if that's whom Raye saw earlier. He looks so playful and sweet. No evil there that's for sure,' she thought.

"If you don't take your flirtatious ass out of this room I'm going to throw you out."

"There's no harm in flirting Serena. Plus this lady here has someone else on her mind in that department," he said with a smirk. "See you in the morning sis," and left.

"What did he mean by that statement?" Mina asked. 'Could he know of Matt? Did Serena turn to dark magic? No, I would feel it and I don't. But who are they then?'

"Who knows with Jason. Can I offer you something to drink?"

"No thank you. I'm beginning to think that I shouldn't have come here at all."

"That makes two of us."

"Yeah well then I'll just go," Mina said and turned to leave.

"I never thought that I'd see the day when the leader of my previous guard ran away from a situation."

"I'm not running from anything."

"That's why your hand is less that a foot away from the door handle?"

"I have no reason to run from anything."

"Prove it then. Why'd you come here Mina?"

"I wanted to know if it's true."

"If what's true?"

"Were you and I- did our mothers- I mean were we cousins back in that time?"

"What gave you that notion?"

"I've been getting these flashes and hearing these voices for the past couple of years now. I didn't think anything of it until today when I heard your voice. Something was going on at the palace and I was determined to stay and watch over things. You wanted to go out and have fun somewhere and asked me to go with. I suppose I told you no and then you retaliated with saying that as my cousin and future ruler of this universe you ordered me to have fun."

"That could have been numerous times. You never did want to abandon your post especially once we got older and you realized how important our positions were."

"So we were cousins?"

"Are."

"That's what I meant."

"Really? My impression was that you didn't want anything to do with me or mine. That's why you told me to leave six years ago."

"I didn't tell you to leave."

"I'm sorry let me rephrase. You told me to give up my life and hand it over to you so that I could be alone and wallow in my misery because I was useless crybaby of a Princess and an even more ridiculous version of a leader. Is that more accurate?"

"You're not going to make this easy are you?"

"Why should I?"

"Because we're family."

"Shouldn't I be saying that? We're family Mina. First cousins in fact because my father was your mother's older brother. How do you sleep at night knowing that you let down your entire family line with what you did?"

"I…"

"Is the daughter of Aphrodite speechless? My, my, my I never thought I would live to see the day when this would happen. I do believe that I will have to sit down with a cup of tea and enjoy this moment."

"Why do you have to be so cruel?" Mina choked out.

"Cruel? You haven't seen the limits of my cruelty yet Mina. I have much in store for you and your friends. If I have my way you five will never see the light of day again. Oh you're not going to cry are you?"

"I wouldn't give you the satisfaction. What happened to that girl I met in the arcade? The one who taught a blue haired girl that there was more to life than studying; who showed a browned haired girl that love does exist in the world even when you feel that it doesn't include you; the girl who gave a raven haired spitfire friendship when at times she didn't even deserve it?"

"She died when all three of those girls betrayed her trust. When those three girls along with a blond haired cerulean colored eyed girl and an ebony haired male with a white cat took everything that she cared about from her. They took her dignity, her pride and whatever love she had left within her soul: they destroyed it. And now you have me."

"I wish I had the old Serena back. She had a heart and wouldn't be punishing others for a mistake they're trying to rectify."

"Trying to rectify? It took you six years to build up the courage to rectify this mistake? Some friendship we must have had."

"You're the one who continued to run every time someone got close to your whereabouts."

"That's bullshit. I graduated from high school and went on to college. Ended up graduating early in fact and was beginning to start my work when this happened. If you six had truly wanted to find me you would have. Nothing and I mean NOTHING would have kept you from finding me if you truly cared."

"We did care! We love you Serena and why you can't see that I don't know. We did look for you and our efforts proved futile. Your parents wouldn't tell us anything and every time we came near Sammy he would run in the other direction. You called Molly twice a week and she never told us much but that you were still breathing so don't worry. Andrew only heard from you when you called from blocked numbers or pay phones and even then you never said much. The day after we graduated from high school Molly traveled all over Asia to expand on her mother's jewelry chain and we all lost touch with kids from high school. That's when we found Sammy and he told us of you living in Massachusetts with your grandmother. We all went to America and tried to find you but you had already left and your grandmother wasn't saying anything. She was very tight lipped about anything having to do with you or where your new living station was. What were we supposed to do? Darien was determined to continue to search. He even had half a mind to put his medical career on hold, but Raye convinced him out of that."

"I bet she did. Did she even argue when you guys decided to stop searching? I bet she was right as rain when you finally gave up your search."

"We had lives to continue with Serena. Lita decided to take a grant given to her by a culinary institution. She was to study under them for six months and then had the choice of going to study abroad for another three years or begin her own restaurant. She chose to work abroad for a year and then came home to open her business. Raye's grandfather passed away two years ago so she had to get back to the temple and take over there. My mother wanted me to continue in her footsteps so I did and began my own company with her financial partners help. And of course Amy went to work at the hospital with Darien."

"Sounds as if you guys have had quite a fulfilling life."

"Bullshit! You know damn well that our lives may have been productive but they surely were not fulfilling. All any of us wanted was to have you back with us. I didn't think Darien was going to make it the day he found the letter you left for him. He locked himself in that damn apartment for days Serena. It took the Sailor Scouts not four high schoolers to get him out of that room and start living again. And do you know why he did? Because we promised him that one day we'd bring you back to him. One say he'd have you in his arms again and everything would be okay."

"I guess you had to break that promise huh?"

"Not in this lifetime."

"Do I sense confidence? Does the great Sailor Venus believe that she can use her powers of matchmaking to bring together lost love?"

"I don't have to believe. I know."

"Do explain."

"You wouldn't have said lost love if you didn't care anymore."

Serena starred at Mina in shock and slowly her features began to change. Her face stoned over again and in a cold voice she asked, "Point taken Mina, but it'll never happen. The key verb here is lost. It describes the noun which is love. That love went astray a long time ago and as time wavered on it diminished and became non-existent."

"So says the woman carrying the broken heart."
"Is there a reason why you came here Venus?"

"I want to make amends Serena. I don't know where to begin with you but I will try. I don't care how long it takes or how stubborn you become through this process but I will make you listen. I won't let you walk away from us again or push us away. Love goes BOTH ways Serena and as the daughter of the beautiful Goddess of Love and sister to Cupid I know. I can see what's in your heart Serenity and it's crying out in pain. But like Raye and Lita your stupid pride stands in its way of being heard." She opened the front door and calmly said, "I'm sure that our paths will cross again soon. In the meantime think about this: I made the first mistake. I committed a horrible wrong that I am trying to make up for. But you continue to knock me down every time I try to climb back up my ladder of redemption. What does that say about you cousin?"

Standing alone in her house after Mina had left, with only her thoughts to comfort her, she let out an earth-shattering scream that rattled the house.

End of Chapter! I do hope you gusy liked it and do remember to review!

Selene Grace